Manufacture of sheet metal



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MANUFA'CTURE 0F SHEET METAL.

\ NO- 382,321- Patented Mays, 1888.

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188882821. Patented May 8, 1888.

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E. NORTON an J. G. HoDGsoN.

MANUFAGTURE OE SHEET METAL.

180,382,321. Patented May'B, 1888.

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E. NORTON 8u J. G. HODGSON. MANUEAGTUEE 0E SHEET METAL.

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f Ntran STATES EDWIN NORTON AND JOHN G. HODGSON, OF MAYWOOD, ASSIGNOR-S TO SAID EDWIN NORTON, AND OLIVER V. NORTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEET IVlETAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,321, dated May 9, 1888. Original application filed December 2T, 1887, Serial No. 258,940. Divided and this application filed March 12, i888. Serial No.

.To LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN NORTON and JOHN G. HODGSON, citizens of the United States, residing in Maywood, in the county of 5 Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Art of Manufacturing Sheet Metal, ofwhich` the following is a specification.

` Our invention relates to an improved proio cess for manufacturing sheet metal directly from molten metal Without first casting the metal into an ingot or billet and then rolling and rerolling it to reduce its thickness.

Heretofore attempts have been made to produce sheet metal by pouring the molten metal in'a flat stream upon the peripheral surface of a rapidly-revolving wheel or roller the rim of which is hollow and filled with water,which circulates through the same to keep the wheel zo cool, so that it willsolidifythe stream of molten metal as it comes in contact with the surface of the wheel. In the practical operation of this method, however, we have found great difficulty in producing the same smooth and planished surface upon bot-h sides of the sheet produced, and also in producing the sheet metal of the requisite degree of uniformity. Heretofore, also, attempts have or may have been made to produce metal bars, rails, or

3o plates by pouring molten metal between two revolving rollers,the molten metal dam ming up and collecting in the space above and between the rollers, as shown and described in the patent to Bessemer, No. 49,053, of 1865. This method 3 5 is objectionable, if not impracticable, by reason of the body of molten metal above the meeting-line of the rollers and in contact with the rollers either becoming chilled and solidifled before passing through the rollers, or else 4c so heating the rollers as to prevent their properly chilling theissuing stream of molten metal which passes between them. By our im provement we obviate the difficulties of both these old methods and provide a successful and prac- V tical process for producing sheet metal of uniform thickness and having both sides smooth and even; and it consists in pouring the molten metal in a flat and wide stream between` two wheels or rollershavin g smooth peri pheries and (No model.)

revolving atan equal or greater surface speed 5o than the velocity of the falling stream, so that the molten metal can not dam up or collect in a body above the meeting-line of the wheels or rollers at the space bet-Ween them, and thus either become chilled bythe rollers or rapidly heat the rollers. By this means the wide flat stream of molten metal comes in contact with the rollers" only at their meetingline, and this momentary contact we have discovered by eX- periment is sufficient to set the molten metal 6o and instantly convert the wide dat liquid stream into sheet metal.

Another improvement also consists in pouring the stream of molten metal directly between the two wheels or rollers, the direction of the stream being tangential to both rollers or wheels, so that the stream of molten metal will be equally acted upon by both wheels, and thus produce the same smooth and polished surface on both sides of the sheet. 7o Vhere the cross-section ofthe stream of molten metal is the same or about the same as that of the strip of sheet metal to be produced-that is to say, the same as the space between the peripheries of the two rollers at their meetingline--the surface speed of the rollers need only equal or about equal the velocity of the issuing stream of molten metal; but where the sheet metal is to be made thinner than the issuing stream of molten metal the surface ve- 8o locity of the revolving rollers is correspondingly increased, in order to prevent the molten met-al collecting and damming up in the space between and above the rollers.

In practicing our invention we ordinarily drive the rollers at a uniform speed, of from three hundred to five hundred feet per minute, and then regulate the size or thickness of the stream of molten metal to the particular thickness of sheet metal desired to be produced, by 9o varying the size of the gate or nozzle through which the stream of metal issues. As the flat stream of metal is ina liquid or molten condition at the time it passes or begins to pass between the rollers or wheelshlittle if any spreading strain or pressure is exerted upon the rollers to force themapart, and it is therefore comparatively easy to keep the space or opening between the rollers uniform and produce a sheet of metal of absolutely uniform thickness.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, we have shown one form of apparatus suitable for practicing our invention, and that which we deem to be the best form for use in practicing the same. The apparatus so shown 4in the drawings is one which we have used and designed specially for use in the manufacture of sheet-solder, which is an alloy of tin and lead. This machine fully embodies the principle and mode of operation of our invention, and may be used without change in the manufacture of other sheet metals than sheet-solder, lthough with certain metals certain changes of construction obvious to those skilled in the art may be desirable, especially in the crucible and heating apparatus.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44.0f Fig. 1, and Fig'. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures. y

In Asaid drawings, A represents the frame of the machine. This may be of any strong and suitable construction.. V

B B are a pair of hollow rollers or wheels having smooth vperipheries b, revolving together,with a slight space, b', between them at their meeting-line, or thelinejoining thecenters. The space between these hollow wheels lor rollers is equal to the thickness of the sheet metal desired to be produced. These wheels or rollers have hollow shafts or axles B B', which are j ournaled in suitable bearings, B2 B2, on the frame of the machine. The bearings B2 B2 are made adjustable on the frame, sothat the axes of the hollow wheels or rollers may be adjusted parallel to each other and the rollers set closer together or farther apart, according to the thickness ofthe metal desired to be produced. The adjustment of these journals or boxes is effected by the adjusting-screws B3. The openings b2bz at one end of the hollow shafts B B lead into the interior space of the hollowwheels or rollers B at the center thereof, and communicate at their outer ends with the water-supply pipes by'a b3 through the packed join-ts or couplings b4. The holes or openings b5 in the opposite end of the hollow shafts B communicate through the radial branch pipes b with the hollow wheels B near their peripheries, and they are connected to the water-exit pipes b7 through the packedjoints or couplings bs. By this means the entire interior of the hollow wheels B B is or may be kept full of water and aconstant circulation of water through the same maintained. y

The connection ofthe inlet and outlet water-V pipes might, of course, be reversed, the inletpipes communicating with theirwheels B B at their peripheries and the outlet at their centers; but the better way is that. shown in the drawings and before described, as the centrifugal action of the revolving wheels tends to throw the water to the periphery, and thus quickly distribute the incoming cold water to the periphery of the wheel, where it is needed to cool the metallic rim, which tends to become` heated by contact with the molten metal. By locating the inlet and outlet pipes one at the center and one at the periphery ofthe hollow revolving wheels B B a thorough circulation of the water is occasioned inside the wheel before it can escape therefrom. 'lhis circulation of the water would not be so well effected if the inlet and outlet pipes both communicated with the hollow wheels at their center or both at their periphery. The shafts of the wheels B B are geared together by gears BB.

C C are Scrapers or cleaning devices, consisting, preferably, of blades of soft metallike copper, for example-so as not to scratch the peripheral surface of the wheels B B, and located beneath the meeting-line of said wheels in position to strip the sheet metal, x, fromv the periphery of either wheel in case it should adhere or tend to adhere thereto. These stripping-blades are mounted on arms c, attached to the pivoted levers or handles C C', so that they may be readily moved into or out of con-A tact with their respective wheels B B.

D is the pouring nozzle or vessel, having a vertical slit or opening, d, through which a thin wide flat-stream of molten metal may issue directly between the two wheels B B, and in a direction tangential to both, so that said stream will equally strike the periphery of both wheels and be equally acted upon on both sides by Contact therewith. The lower end, lip, or mouth of this pouring-nozzle is or should be brought down as low or near to the meeting-line of the wheels as possible, so that the stream of molten metal kmay have but a slight distance to fall after leaving the nozzle.

The nozzle D is furnished with avalve or gate, d. .This valve may be of any suitable construction; but we preferably employ-a cylindrical plug-valve having a slot or opening through the same. The shaft of this valve is furnished with a handle or levend?, for operating the valve and for adjusting it to any desired position to regulate the size or thickness of the outlet. This valve-lever is adjusted to any desired position by means of the arc E,

sliding block e, having set-screws e', which afford an approximate adjustment, and by means of the adj listing-screw e2, threaded on the block e, the head of which bears against the handle d2, and thus affords a means for accurate adjustment of the pouring out-let or opening. zle or vessel D is, for convenience, as well as for nicety of construction, made in two parts, one of the parts being integral with the vessel D itself, and the other part, d3, being secured thereto by set-screws d The part d3, as well as theV part upon which it lits, is provided with shoulders d5 d5, which fit together lOO The lower end of the pouring nozat the two ends or Aedges of the nozzle, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5, these shoulders thus forming the pouring outlet or opening in the nozzle.

The sides or walls of the pouring-vessel D should be curved or made wedging, as indicated at d in the drawings, so that the pour-v ing-vessel may lit lower down between the wheels or rollers B B.

The pouring-vessel D is mounted upon an adjustable frame or support, F, so that the Y pouring mouth, slit, or opening d of said vessel may be accurately adjusted in relation to the middle line between the wheels or rollers BB, so as to enable the molten stream of metal to be accurately directed into the space beneath the revolving wheels. The vessel D or its frame or support F may be thus adjusted by any suitable means. We prefer, however, to effect the adjustment of the vessel D by mounting its support F on four adjustingscrews or adjustable standards, fffzf. By turning the nuts of all four of these adjustingscrews equally the mouth of the pouringnozzle may be adjusted up or down without affecting its position in respect to the meetingline of the wheels B B and without affecting the direction ot' the stream issuing therefrom. By turning the nuts of the two screws on one side one corner of the pouringnozzle may be tilted up or down, or brought closer to or farther from a horizontal plane passing through the axes of the rollers. By turning the outer or the inner end pair of nutsthat is to say, the two farther from the vessel D or the two nearer theretothe mouth of the pouringnozzle may be moved or adjusted nearer to one wheel or the other wheel, as may be necessary to bring the same accurately to the middle line between the two wheels. It will thus be seen that by means of these four adjustingscrews any desired adjustment may be given to the pouring-nozzle necessary to direct the issuing stream of molten metal properly be tween the revolvingl wheels B B.

The vessel D is heated and the metaltherein kept in a molten condition by means of gas jets or burners G, or other suitable heating devices. For heating this pouring-nozzle, however, we prefer to employ gaseous fuel, as thereby the liame may be projected directly against the nozzle and the same kept at the requisite temperature without imparting any great amount of heat to the wheelsBB, and by combiuing gaseburning heaters with the pouring nozzle or vessel D and the revolving wheels or rollers B B we are enabled to accomplish the important result of bringing the pouring-nozv zle well down between the revolving wheels. We locate or preferably locate one of the gasburncrs G very near the lower end of the pouring-nozzle at each edge thereof. To concentrate the 'llame upon the vessel D, we provide said vessel with an annular hood, D, surrounding the same. This hood also serves in part to shield and protect the wheels B B from the flame and heat. This hood D, for convenience of construction,is preferably castintegral with the frame or plate F, which supports the vessel D. We provide the vessel D with atlange or shoulder, D2, which rests upon the plate F.

H represents a crucible or heating-vessel in which the metal to be converted into sheet metal.is melted or kept in a molten condition. This crueible should be of comparatively large size, so that it may hold a considerable supply of molten metal. A pipe, H', leads from the crucible H to the pouring-nozzle D, and serves to conduct the molten metal in a continuous supply to the pouring-nozzle. This conductor'pipe is kept hot by means of a series of gas jets or burners, h. These burners may be simply holes in the gas-pipe i.' The Crucible H at the opening therein leadinginto this conductor pipe is furnished with a valve, H, which may be-opened or closed by the valve-operating wheel H3 and screw connect' ing-rod Ht.

When in operation, the metal to be fused maybe supplied continuously to the Crucible H as fast as the molten metal flows therefrom; or, where it is desired to produce sheets er strips of sheet metal only a few thousand feet long,

the crucible may be filled with metal at intervals, fused and drawn off, and then refilled, the revolution of the wheels or rollers B being stopped during the heating operation. The

vessel H may be heated in'any suitable manner. TWhere the metal being operated upon is solder or other like easily-fusible metal, the Crucible may be conveniently heated by a number of gas jets or burners, K, plated under the same. l

K represents the gas supply pipes, and K2 air-supply pipes 4connected with the burners, as the gaseous fuel which we have used in the machine shown in the drawings has been that made from gasoline, in the use of which, asis well known, separate gas and air pipes are commonly employed.

N represents the driving-pulley, secured to a counter-shaft geared to the shaft of one of the revolving wheels or rollers B. By means of this drivingpulley and a suitable belt, a,

from a pulley on a countershaft on an engine or other source of power the wheels or rollers B B are revolved at an equal or greater surface speed than the velocity of the stream of molten meta, x', issuing from the openingdof the pouringnozzle D, so that the liow of the metal will not be obstructed by contact with the wheels or rollers B B, and be thus dam med up or collected in the space above and between said rollers, where it would tend to be chilled by them and impart its heat to them. The surface speed ofthe wheels B B which we in prac terially varied without departing from our invention. As the periph eral surfaces of the rollers B B are traveling by or away from the mouth of the nozzle atan equal or greater speed IOO than the velocity of the flowing metal with which they come in contact, the revolving wheels tend to facilitate the iiow of metal with which they come in contact, and in a measure to draw the metal from the nozzle' rather than to in any way obstruct the flow of the issuing stream. As the peripheries of the wheels do not come in contact with the wide thin fiat stream of molten metal except at their meeting point or line, and at the very instant it is changing from a liquid to a solid state, the passing stream of metal exerts little or no spreading pressure uponv the wheels to force them apart, and thus to increase or vary the distance between the rollers, and thereby cause variations in the thickness of the sheet metal produced, as would necessarily be the case if the rollers were subjected to violent and varying strains or pressures. For this reason, also, it requires very little power tol run the apparatus and revolve the wheels B B at any velocity desired. Owing, also, to the very limited portion of the periphery of the wheels B B which at any instant is in Contact wi-th the molten metal and receiving heat therefrom, the temperature of the wheels B Bis easilykept uniform and may be kept any desired degree. By increasing or diminishing the capacity of the inlet and outlet pipes, orof the velocity of the water flowing through the same, the temperature of the wheels may be governed and the apparatus adapted to produce sheet metal of greater or less thick ness. The length of the wheels or rollers B B may be increased or diminished, according to the width ofthe metal sheet desired to be produced. The wheels B B shown in the drawings are comparatively short, as the machine illustrated is one designed for use in manufacturing narrow sheetsolder strip for a special purpose.

P represents the chute or opening below the machine through which the strip of sheet metal produced issues.

The wheels or rollers B B have smooth uniiauged peripheries, so that any slight inequalities or lack of uniformity in the size of the flowing stream of molten metal will be compensated for at the edges of the strip of sheet metal produced by variations in the width. Where the stream does not iiow with absolute uniformity in size or velocityin respect to the surface velocity of the wheels B B, the edges of the sheet-metal strip will be somewhat serrated, Athe inequalities in the flow being compensated for by such variations in the width of the strip, itsthickness being maintained uniform.

The length of the slot or opening d in the pouring-nozzle D should preferably be equal to or about'equal to thelwidth of the strip of 6o The wheels B B have an equal surface speed,

and they, of course, should preferably be of the samediameter.

As the rollers or wheels B B have smooth unflanged peripheries, strips of sheet metal from any desired width from the narrowest up to the full length of the rollers may be made upon the same machine by simply regulating the width and thickness of the stream of molten metal and the velocity of the revolving wheels. This is a great advantage in the practical use of our invention, as it obviates the necessity and expense of making separate pairs of rollers foreach different width ofsheet metal desired to be produced. I

W'e do not herein claim the apparatus which .we have shown and described, as that forms strips, consisting in pouring molten metal in a continuous unbroken stream between two rollers or wheels revolving together with a space between them equal to the thickness of the sheet metal to be produced, and at a sufficientl y great surface speed to offer no obstruction to the flowing streamof molten metal, and thus pass the same between the rollers as fast as it iiows and without permitting the molten metal to collect in a body above and between the rollers, substantially as specified.

2. The process or improvement in the art of manufacturing sheet metal, consisting in pouring molten metal in a thin wide iiat stream between and in contact with two smooth revolving chilling-rollers, and in a direction tangential to both said rollers, and while said 'rollers revolve together with a space between them equal to the thickness ofthe sheet metal to be produced and at a surface speed equalto or exceeding the velocity of the liowing stream of mollen metal, substantially .as specified.

EDWIN NORTON. JOHN G. HODGSON.

Vitncsscs:

EDMUND ADcocK, H. M. MUNDAY.

IOO

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